A system and process for recovering copper from a copper-containing ore,
concentrate, or other copper-bearing material to produce high quality
cathode copper from a leach solution without the use of copper solvent
extraction techniques or apparatus. A process for recovering copper from a
copper-containing ore generally includes the steps of providing a feed
stream containing communicated copper-containing ore, concentrate, or
other copper-bearing material, leaching the feed stream to yield a
copper-containing solution, conditioning the copper-containing solution
through one or more physical or chemical conditional steps, and
electowinning copper directly from the copper-containing solution, without
subjecting the copper-containing solution to solvent extraction.